Grain-storing apparatus.



PATENTED JULY 2l, 1908.

R. TOLSON.

GRAIN STORING APPARATUS.

APPALIUATION FILED APR. 2,1908.

I ROBERT TOLSON, OF WASHINGTON, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA.

GRAIN-STORING APPARATUS.

Specication of Letters Patent.

Patented July 21, 1908.

Application filed April 2, 1908. Serial No. 424,811.

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, ROBERT ToLsoN, of Washington, District of Columbia, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Grain-Storing Apparatus, which improvement is fully set forth in the following specilication.

This invention relates to means for transporting corn and other grains from the wagon in which the same is brought from the field and depositing it in a corn-crib or other granary designed for its reception.

The object of the invention is to provide strong, simple and eflicient means that may be operated by suitable power ordinarily found on a farm, and preferably by horsepower, and consists, generally speaking, in an inclined track or way leading from a suitable point outside of the corn-crib or granary to within the granary, upon which track or way there is mounted a suitable car provided with a hinged bottom. This bottom is provided with a spring or other device for automatically closing the door or bottom in the absence of any weight thereon, but which spring or automatic closing device would yield under the weight of the load to permit the door or bottom to open and the contained load of grain to drop through the bottom. For the purpose of preventing the bottom from thus opening under the iniluence of the load except at the desired time, a suitable catch or catches is or are provided to retain the door in its closed position, and an adjustable stop or abutment is secured in a suitable position, and preferably on the track or way within the corn-crib or granary, for actuating the catch to free the bottom when the car is advanced to the position where it is desired to deposit the load contained therein. Preferably this tripping action is secured by the advancement of the carin to a position` to cause the catch to impinge upon the stop and move it against the tension of a spring to trip the catch, whereupon the bottom or door of the car swings open under the influence of the weight of the grain contained therein, and the grain having fallen from the car, the spring returns the bottom or door to its closed position, and the power which is applied to the car to bring it into trip position having been eased or released, the catch immediately returns to retaining position.

The invention may assume various mechanical forms, one of which, for the sake of description, is shown in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a part elevational, part sectional view, showing the track or way with a car thereon, and the manner in which it is advanced into the corn-crib or granary; Fig. 2 is a bottom plan view of the car; Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the car slightly tilted up so as to afford a view of the bottom and walls thereof and Fig. 4 is a detail of one form of adjustable stop device which may be employed.

Referring to the drawings, 1 is a corn-crib or granary, and 2 is a track or way leading -from a point 3, here shown as approximately on the ground level, u into the corn-crib or granary which is provided with a side door or opening 4. Mounted on the track or way is a car 5, preferably of hopper shape, which has a bottom 6 hinged at 7, 7, to the car, the hinge straps 8, 8, preferably extending entirely across the bottom of the car to strengthen the same. Reacting between the body of the car and the door 6 is a spring 9, which in the absence of any load within the car acts to hold the door constituting the bottom of the car in closed position. Suitably mounted on the car is a catch for engaging the door 6 and holding it in closed position even when the car is loaded. As here shown, this catch takes the form of a square rod 10 so mounted on the car that it cannot turn. At its rear end 11 this rod bears against a spring 12, and its forward end 18 projects out beyond the bottom of the car, as will be clearly understood from an inspection of Figs. 2 and 3.

Suitably positioned within the corn-crib or granary 1 is a stop or abutment 14 which lies in the path of the forward end 13 of the stop 10 when the car is advanced into dumping position within the granary. This stop may be mounted upon any suitable support, and is here shown as mounted u on the track or way 2, and in order that the umping action of the car may be secured at any desired point within the granary this stop or abutment 14 is made adjustable, as clearly shown in Fig. 4, the adjustment being secured in this instance by providing a long slot 15 in the metal bar of which the abutment, in this instance, is made, and the stop being secured to the track or way by clamping nuts orscrews 16, 16. It will be apparent that by loosening the said clamping nuts or screws, the stop may be adjusted along the track as desired.

Any suitable power may be employed for advancing the car up and down the Way, and 

